Zion
by ZemISHly
Summary: Imagine…some blood-crazed demon could snake up behind you,” In the blink of an eye he was behind me, his mouth planted between my neck and my shoulder. “they could gently sink their teeth into the flesh of your throat,” I felt his lips brush my skin...
1. At the Dock

_ZION_

"Aw…are we having some after wedding regrets or has your face just permanently frozen like that?" I whipped my head around to see the familiar face of Zion.

I quickly took in the features of the eternally 15 year old boy I had met three days prior to my wedding. His raven hair was to his shoulders now, smooth over his head and wavy. His eyes glowed, not the typical golden I was used to, but instead a deadly red. His skin looked paler then I remembered it. His mischievous grin was the same however.

"I'm just thinking."

"Thinking? So far away from home. Imagine…some blood-crazed demon could snake up behind you," In the blink of an eye Zion was behind me, his mouth planted between my neck and my shoulder. "they could gently sink their teeth into the flesh of your throat," I felt his lips brush my skin as he spoke. "and suck you dry." I shivered involuntarily…fear overtaking me.

In seconds a splash resounded from the lake I was sitting in front of. I jumped to my feet only to see a soaking wet Zion standing in front of me laughing.

"You should've seen your face Bella! I scared the shit out of you! Seriously though, you think I'd bite you?" He grinned and walked passed me, yanking off his wet t-shirt in the process.

"Yes! No…maybe. Your not exactly a 'vegetarian' Zion. Just because you only kill one human a month doesn't make me feel safe around you." I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.

"Sorry love, I continually forget. Oh…how's the baby?" Zion sat back down on the dock and grabbed my wrist, forcing me to sit beside him.

"She's good. Edward is watching her right now."

"Where exactly does our dear Edward think you are?"

"The store."

"Oh yes…this is quite a store…so rustic feeling."

"Shut up!" I swatted at him but he dodged effortlessly and pushed me into the water.

"ZION!" I screamed at him as I resurfaced, only to discover he wasn't there anymore. "Zion?" I whispered, looking around.

He was gone though. Like always…he came and he went as he pleased. I sighed and started the walk back to my car, only to notice his still wet t-shirt lying in the grass. I picked it up, grabbing a piece of paper that fell off of it in the process.

_See you soon_

_-Z_

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R&R please. It's my first time writing for twilight. I have a idea of where I want this to go but I don't think i'll continue it unless people like it...


	2. Home Alone

Okay so there's some info I left out in the first chapter...but first things first:

txswimgirl216- Thanks so much for reviewing!!

Okay now, as you may have guess this whole story is AU. Also...I'm not Stephenie Meyer(I don't even wish I was)so I don't own anything.

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_ZION_

I sat on the couch at the Cullen's house…my house, and starred out the window. I wasn't so much content as I was just plain bored. Edward, and everyone else for that matter, had gone hunting. I pushed myself off of the couch and looked around aimlessly for something to do.

"Bored?"

I swear to God I jumped five feet. I whipped my head around to see Zion standing in the middle of the living room, his head cocked to the side and a wicked grin on his face. It had been a month since I had seen him. The only change in his appearance now was the golden color in his eyes.

"How the heck did you manage to get in here?"

"I picked the lock. I used to pick the lock in my room all the time when I was younger."

"In your room?" I was curious now. Zion was extremely secretive about his past. I understood we hadn't known each other long but still he was careful what he said.

"Yeah. My parents used to lock me in my bedroom. So I would pick the lock and sneak out." He grinned again and walked over to the cream colored couch.

I sat down beside him and starred ahead out the window. I don't know why I trusted Zion. In a way it was the equivalent of trusting someone like James or Laurent. Maybe even a Volturi. He could kill me whenever the heck he wanted. Edward could too but he _tried_ not too. A shiver ran down my spine as I recalled my first encounter with Zion.

"How can you stand all this white? It would drive me crazy…looks too much like a hospital." When the words left his mouth there was an edge of fear in them, a shiver as he ended the sentence.

"I don't know. It's not bad after a while."

He nodded but still shivered again, looking at the wide glass windows and the white walls.

Once before the wedding I had gotten Carlisle to tell me about the different covens in America. He had told about Zion's in vague detail. He had said that no one was really sure exactly who lead that coven and how many members it had. He sounded disgusted as he spoke of them, like they were some kind of horrible force.

"What is your coven like?"

"Not this." He laughed but as it died down he turned to me with a very serious expression.

"There are a lot of us in the coven and we don't really…well we aren't actually a real coven. We use it as a cover, really we're just a bunch of nomads and trackers."

"But don't you have people you care about?" I looked at him curiously, trying to decide if he seemed sad about that or not. He was like Edward was at times, I couldn't read an expression for my life.

"Sure. I care about myself."

I smacked his arm and this time he let me, opting to just smile instead of run away.

"Kidding…I'm kidding Bella. I care about the members of my coven." He looked out of the window, his emotionless face turning quickly into a hard scowl.

"What's the matter?"

"Your lovely 'family' is on there way home. I can smell them. I'll see you later." Zion hurried to the back door and stopped, his hand on the door knob. "Hey Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you come to meet them?"

"Who?"

"My family. Will you meet them. People like Carlisle act so disgusted towards our kind. Maybe if you would get to know them…"

"Sure. I guess so." I wasn't really sure I should. Carlisle had said that they didn't fully believe in not killing humans. I had trouble saying no to Zion though.

Zion smiled and hurried out the back door. He seemed, for a moment, like a normal 15 year old boy. His beautiful face took on a look of vulnerability I had never before seen. He was worried about his family's acceptance. He was scared someone would try to destroy the coven.

"Hey Bella! We're back!" I looked back to see Alice walk through the front door with Jasper and Edward. I smiled and wrapped Edward in a hug. This was definitely one of the times I was glad he couldn't read my mind. Because right now the only thing I could think of was Zion.

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R&R...happy reading!!


	3. The Coven

"When's the big day?" Zion smirked at me as I walked along side him. We were not in Washington anymore. I'm not actually sure where we were. Zion had told me to tell Edward that I was going into Seattle for the day, that I'd be back before sundown.

"What big day? Where are we?" I asked, we were walking on the side of a dirt road. I felt like I could be murdered out here…and the fact that I was walking next to a vampire didn't help.

"We are in the woods. And the day you become a vampire. Not just lunch." He snapped at me jokingly as he said the last part. I flinched away from him.

"Saying 'the woods' is a good answer. And I don't know. We just got back from the honey-moon." I stated.

"I know…those lovely bruises aren't man made darling." Zion smirked and stopped moving. "We're here."

Zion's house reminded e of the Cullen's because it was some random mansion in the middle of the woods. It was more Victorian looking then Edward's…my house though. Zion took my arm and led me inside the house. "MEAT!" He called.

I froze in my spot. I couldn't believe he had just said that. Was this really a set up. Girl with bright red hair and almost translucent skin came flying down the stairs. She had to be even more beautiful then Rosalie. And by the way Zion looked at her I could tell he more then just 'cared' about her.

"Zion! You're such a jerk. Sorry about him, he gives our coven a bad name. I'm Charlotte." She smiled and shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you I'm Bella."

"I know, Zion talks about you an awful lot." I expected her to look at me the way Rosalie looks at me when I talk to Emmett or Edward for that matter.

"Oh."

"I do not." Zion barked back and I laughed. He sounded so defensiveve.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the others. Zion…go kill a dear before you kill the human to set foot in this house." Charlotte smiled and took my wrist in her hand, leading me up the stairs.

I met some of the strangest vampires I probably will ever encounter. There were about 10 of them living in this house. I could see why Carlisle didn't like them. They really ere just a group of people who didn't have any belief systems or ideals. They come and go as they please and don't care about people finding out if they're vampires. Because they kill whoever they tell anyway.

"Charlotte?" We had left the house and were sitting outside. Rain was falling and I was going to have to get back to Forks soon.

"Yeah?"

"Is it hard to survive like this? Coming and going and being hated?" I was curious. I hadn't asked Zion because he wasn't one to give straight answers and he was a damn good liar.

"Not all vampires hate us. Just the ones we wish wouldn't. We respect the Olympic Coven a lot. Carlisle doesn't agree with us because we don't strictly stay away from humans. We've learned how to control ourselves though. Like right now…I feel no desire to kill you." Charlotte answered.

"I want to be able to have that kind of control."

"I learned it from years of tracking."

"What's your 'power'." I laughed as I put air quotes around the word.

Charlotte smiled at me. "Nothing special. I have an incredible memory. When I was younger I used to spend the day memorizing lines for the traveling theatre I was in…I guess it stuck."

"I think that's cool. You were in a traveling theatre?" I asked impressed. It was cool to hear all the crazy things these people had done in their lives.

"Yeah. We were attacked one night. That's how I got bitten." Charlotte sighed and looked off in the distance.

"Time to get you home darling." I turned to see Zion standing the doorway.

I nodded and gave Charlotte a hug before heading in the door passed him. I turned to see Charlotte give him a kiss on the cheek and tell him to be safe. I wondered how old she was…Zion was eternally 15, but she looked a little older…maybe 17 or 18.

Zion walked in the house and grabbed my hand, leading me out the door. I hopped on his back, the way I always did with Edward and let him race through the trees. With Edward it always felt quick, like everything was spinning around me. Somehow with Zion it wasn't like that. Moving felt more rhythmic with him. I know it sounds stupid but somehow I felt like it was a dance rather then him running.

We stopped a little ways off from the front of the house. The spot I had danced with Jacob. "See you later darling. Thanks for coming to meet my family." Zion smiled and kissed my cheek.

"Zion." He turned.

"How old is Charlotte?" I finally remembered.

"17." He smiled sadly.

"Are you…you know?" I asked, I wasn't sure how to word it.

"Oh Bella. Yes. She's my mate. I met her tracking…I attacked her by accident." Zion laughed. "Now go inside before Carlisle releases that thing he calls a vampire after me."

"Emmett is amazing!" I defended.

"I meant your boy toy darling…not the bear." Zion smirked and disappeared into the trees.

I hurried inside, it was getting cold anyway, not that any vampire could help that. Alice was sitting on the couch staring at the TV, that never ceased to creep me out. She looked up at me as I walked in, Edward appeared at my side in an instant. These people had issues sometimes. It's not like I was in danger…well okay I was but I'm fine. Not a scratch.

"Where were you?" Edward asked curiously.

"Seattle." I answered.

"Rosalie said she didn't see you in any of the stores you shop in." Alice piped up. You've got to be kidding me…my vampires were stalkers. Not that I didn't already know that.

"Well I left early and stopped to visit Jessica." Thank god they couldn't read my mind.

"Okay…was someone outside with you?" Alice asked.

"No." I answered and plopped myself down on the couch next to Alice. Edward stared at me strangely for a moment before going upstairs, announcing that he needed to talk to Carlisle. That couldn't be good.


	4. Charlie's House

I sighed and walked into my father's house. I was making dinner tonight for myself and Charlie. Edward was coming over later to see Charlie and watch TV with him. I could never understand those two. 

I hurried over to the door when I heard a knock. "Zion?" I stated surprised to see the boy. It had only been yesterday that I had gone with him to meet his coven.

"Hey there darling."

"Why do you call me that? I'm older then you." I stated as I walked into the house. Zion followed close behind.

"Ha…not really. I've lived 50 years as a vampire." Zion smiled and opened the freezer, browsing through it's contents.

"Only 50 years?" I asked curiously. 

"Hm? Yeah…I'm the youngest of my coven. Well in vampire years at least. Other wise I would have to say that Harper is the youngest." He answered. 

"Who is Harper? I don't remember meeting her. What are you doing?" I asked, Zion had pulled a tub of ice cream out of the freezer and was eating a spoonful of it.

"Eating ice cream. And she was in Italy. We have a close relationship with the Volturi." Zion smiled. He tossed his spoon in the sink and put the ice cream away. 

"There is a Charlotte who is a nomad that Carlisle told me about…she has a mate named Peter." I stated changing the subject. I don't know why that popped into my mind.

"My Charlotte isn't from America. She told you she was in a traveling theatre. They traveled all over Italy and France. When they were attacked Aro 'kept' her because she seemed strong to him. We don't associate ourselves with the American Nomads. We have a coven…it's just not documented. It was a deal we made with Marcus. Which reminds me…your dear coven isn't filling you in 100% on the goings on of our world." Zion smirked, a look like children get when they know something you don't on his face. Dispite my trust in Edward and his family I felt fear rise in me. 

"What do you mean?" 

"The American Nomads are attempting an attack on Forks…again," Zion pretended to yawn at the information. "They're going to try to gain help from the Denali Coven. It wouldn't surprise me if they got the help they request…those pathetic Alaskan excuses for vampires tend to follow feeling more then logic. Anyway, if the Denali Coven agrees they want to target more then just Forks…a site that might prove appetizing for your dear family." Zion sat down on the table. 

I looked over at him, worry I was sure was written all over my face. Thank God Charlie's dinner was done cooking or it would have been burned by now.

"What kind of target?" I asked shakily.

"The Volturi. They're stupid enough to think that with enough help they can overpower the entire Volturi guard. Harper was with Ava and Christian yesterday. They are working in Italy and other parts of Europe to gain numbers against a revolution. The Irish Coven and the European Nomads have sworn alliance. But I'm afraid the Egyptians and the Amazonians won't be so willing to conform." Zion sighed.

"So you're picking sides."

"I'm always loyal to the Volturi. They are my authority and I must submit to them unless what they are calling me to do goes against my beliefs. It never has though and it probably never will." 

"Should I pick a side?"

"The only side you'll be picking is whether to stay human or become a vampire. If you stay human I have a feeling the lovely Denali tramps will eat you alive. If you choose the side of the Volturi though I suggest you move yourself elsewhere."

"Like find you?"

"So smart. Me or…dare I say it, the wolves. If you choose to be human and don't want to be eaten. They'll protect you. I hold greater respect for your wolves then I do for those sorry excuses of vampires you surround yourself with." Zion stated. I was taken by surprise. I had never heard a vampire speak so highly of a werewolf pack. Even though he didn't say anything that was praising, it was just the tone of his voice. 

"Wow…a vampire who respects werewolves?" I asked.

"Indeed. You'll be the same when you change. Christian is the same age as the elders. He had made a deal with them years ago that if anything happened our coven would work with them…I don't know if Sam would still go with that but we hold them in high regard. They are very loyal and they aren't as judgmental as these vampires. Their pack is very much like my coven." 

I nodded, I could understand what Zion meant. He was right, the wolves were like organized chaos within themselves. While they may not always get along they always back each other. Not like vampires at all. Not unless they are part of that coven. 

"Oh so sad…Charlie's home." Zion smiled but he didn't move. The door knocked and I hurried over to open it, hoping that Zion would scatter while I was opening the door. How was I supposed to explain some random 15 year old boy sitting in my dad's kitchen.

"Bells!" Charlie smiled and wrapped me in a hug. I hugged back loosely and let go, leading him into the house. My smile fell as I saw that Zion was still sitting there. "Who's this?" Charlie asked, I could tell he was sizing Zion up.

"I'm Zion sir." Zion stated, but unlike Edward it didn't sound like he was being polite and he didn't shake hands.

"Zion huh? How do you know Bella?" Charlie asked skeptically.

"Through Jacob. Which reminds me…I had better get going. Nice meeting you. See you later Bella." 

"I'll walk you to the door." I hurried behind Zion to the front door, trying to lok out the window as I went.

"He's not even close darling. I would make my decision quick if I was you. If you decide wisely then go to La Push. Christian is going to contact the wolves on behalf of the Volturi. I'll stay in touch…damn that boy moves fast. I'll see you later." Zion hurried out the door and disappeared into the night. 

Just as I was about to close the door Edward appeared. "Evening." Edward smiled at me and gave me a kiss.

"Hey." I smiled and kissed him back, Zion's words still at the back of my head. I led Edward in and Charlie jumped up to see him.


	5. Bitten

"Carlisle? Can I talk to you?" I asked, walking into Carlisle's study. Edward was downstairs and no doubt tapping into our conversation.

"Of course. What's the matter Bella?" Carlisle looked up from the book he was reading. One that I was sure I had seen him reading a bunch of times before.

"Is it true that the American Nomads and the Denali Coven are trying to stage a war against the Volturi?" I didn't doubt Zion but I was curious.

The look on Carlisle's face told me that Zion had been the truth. "Who told you about that? What else do you know about it?" Carlisle didn't sound as sure of himself as he normally did.

Shit. What was I supposed to say? Oh I made best friends with a coven of vampires that have no leader and no rules and they warned me and told me to ditch you guys. Somehow I don't think that would go over well.

"I know that the Denali Coven wants your help and they've promised not to attack Forks if you help them attack the Volturi." I skipped the first question and went straight on to the second.

As Carlisle was beginning to answer the door opened and Edward walked in. Carlisle turned his attention to Edward. "Did you tell her?"

I sighed…I hated when they talked about me like I wasn't there.

"No. I haven't said a thing about it. She's barely been home anyway." Edward gave me a skeptical look as he spoke and something told me I wouldn't need to choose between Edward and Zion. Because my deicision was going to be made the second I answered the next question.

"Bella, where have you been going?" Edward turned his full attention on, as did Carlisle.

"Um…to um…"I bowed my head and mumbled the last part, "Zion's."

"Zion? Who is…" Edward turned to Carlisle, whose face was paler than normal.

"Bella!" Carlisle stood up and in a second he was standing with us, "Bella you need to be careful. Those vampires are not safe. They aren't like us."

I felt myself getting angry. I knew they were worried about me and only watching out for my well being, the way they had done with James and Laurent. But this wasn't James…Zion was okay. I don't know how I knew but I knew.

"I can take care of myself." I stated angrily. I sounded like a five year old.

"Bella! You're only human!" Edward stated and glared at me.

"Well I won't be for long." I glared back and ran out of the house, praying they didn't decide to follow me because if they did I was surely never going to get away. I got in ym car and drove toward La Push. I looked behind me to see Edward's car, I punched the gas harder, speeding ahead of Edward. I didn't care now, I was angry at him for acting like that toward my friends.

I stopped the car suddenly. A boy with platinum blond hair and pale skin was standing in the middle of the road. He smiled at me and walked to the passangers side, opening the door and sliding in.

"Christian." He held his hand out to me and I shook it.

"Bella." I stated.

"I know. Zion told me you'd be headed this way." Christian stated, "You might want to start driving. Edward is coming around the bend."

"Can I drive over the line?"

"The agreement was made between the Cullen's and the wolves. It has nothing to do with us." Christian stated and put his hand on my knee, pushing my foot down on the gas. The car sped around the road and I let out a small scream.

"Don't ever do that again!" I shouted as he let go and I gained control of the car again. Edward had stopped at the line.

"Sorry…you weren't moving. I'm not quite in Edward's league. I'm more of a negotiator. That's why Harper travels with me. The little thing is vicious." Christian laughed.

"How old is she?"

"eternally she's 10. Otherwise she's 350." Christian stated. "Turn there."

"Okay, where are we going?" I asked, I hated driving and not knowing where we were going.

"To the house."

"It's this way?"

"The path up ahead leads to the house. It's not the house you were at before. Charlotte and Zion only live in this one with Harper, Ava and I." Christian responded.

"Why didn't Zion come?"

"Because I have more patience than he does and because he hasn't seen Charlotte in three days. He missed her, and she was in the Amazon…he was worried."

"That's sweet." I smiled as Christian pointed to a dirt path that I drove onto. "Boy you guys sure do love dirt paths."

"That we do." Christian smiled.

"Is this why other vampires can't find you? Because you move around so much?" I asked. I parked the car on the side of another old Victorian house and got out.

Christian was by my side in an instant. "Basically. Though Alice could probably still see us. She is the most rational of the Cullen's."

"You've obviously never lived with her."

"No. And thank god for that. The Cullen's are just dieing to burn us." Christian opened the door for me and led me inside.

"BELLA!" Charlotte came down the stairs and hugged me. "Hey Christian." She smiled at him.

"Hey Charlotte. How are you?" I asked walking farther into the house.

"Good…so when does this party get started?" Charlotte made a face and looked over at Christian.

"What party?"

"When we bite you…if you want?" The last part came out as a question.

"As soon as possible. Do you know if they're going to go through with the war now?"

"Now that you've left them to swear your alliance to us and the Volturi? Oh darling they'll be making newborns just to get at us." Zion stated, sauntering into the room.

"Okay. I'm ready." I nodded at them.

"We don't want your desires to affect anything and I'm pretty sure they're going to attack as soon as possible. We'll be going to Italy in less than two weeks…meaning you need to okay by then." Charlotte stated.

"So what does that mean?" I asked, I suddenly felt scared. All the things Edward had told me about newborns.

"We're going to feed you deer everyday for two weeks. And one human overall." Charlotte started, I opened my mouth, ready to protest.

"Listen Bella!" Charlotte glared at me, "We have to. Now you'll be pretty crazy at first. I'll handle that so don't worry about it. I have a feeling you'll recover faster than normal vampires…only because of your exposure to our world."

I backed away from the three vampires in front of me and ran outside into the woods. I fell onto the ground and cried…Edward was supposed to change me. It was supposed to be something done so we could spend forever together. Now I was doing this because I was breaking away from a coven of vampires that had never done anything bad to me.

"Bella." I turned to see Zion standing there. "Did I ever tell you how I was bitten?"

"No." I shook my head at him. Zion came and sat in front of me.

"Before I was born my brother got very sick. My parents had me soon after and quickly realized that I could keep him alive. From before I was even a year old I was being treated like a test subject and not a child. I grew up confined to my room and constantly being in a hospital to help my brother. When I turned 15 I decided I didn't care if he lived…if any of them lived. They didn't truly love me. I was attacked as I was walking through the park. I didn't even care that I was going to die. But then I discovered that I wasn't dead. I was going to be alive forever." He laughed lightly and I looked at him astonished.

"I want to help you fight." I whispered to him.

"I was hoping you would say that. Come on."

Zion led me inside and I sat down with him on their couch. He opted for biting my arm instead of my neck. I held my arm out and Zion's cold hands took it. I felt a shiver go down my back and I closed my eyes. Suddenly my whole body felt like it was on fire. It surged through me and I felt someone pull me into their arms. I kept my eyes shut tight. I kept my mind focused on Zion's story in the woods. On how he must have felt, finally free from his parents and his brother. He was the only person I had ever met who was truly happy to be a vampire.

"It's over Bella." I heard Zion's voice whisper in my ear and I realized that the burning was gone and that it had been him who was holding me.

I picked my head up to see Charlotte and Christian standing there. Ava and Harper where with them. "How long?"

"Three days." Christian replied.

"How do you feel?" Harper asked me, her smile was infectious.

"Fine. It's so strange…I feel no different." I pulled away from Zion and looked at my arm, running my hand over the wound.

"Something told me that would happen." Ava stated.

I looked up at Ava and Harper for the first time. Harper was tall for 10 and she looked like one of those little Chinese gymnasts. She had super straight black hair and the same pale skin as all the others. Ava had dirty blond hair and the left side of her head was shaved. She looked tough…she reminded me in a way of Victoria.

"Good. We can get to Italy faster." Charlotte grinned.

"What about Edward?" I couldn't help but ask and somehow I felt more comfortable speaking my mind around them then I ever had around the Cullen's.

"Trust me…he'll be in Italy before we even board our plane if he knows what we're doing." Christian stated.


	6. Volterra

Christian held onto my hand and led me through the airport in Southern Italy. It had been two weeks since my transformation and while I had recovered at record speed(according to Charlotte), I still felt the desire to bite into one of the humans that passed by me. But Christian's grip on my hand was tight and I was sure if I was still human my hand would be broken.

Ava told me that she had a feeling Edward would be in Italy when we got there. Not for the Volturi's sake but rather to find me. I pushed my hair out of my eyes as Christian led me out the door and toward a white mustang.

"Are we driving that car?" I asked, I still wasn't incredibly "car-hungry" as Harper referred to it.

"Yeah. We'll meet Zion and Charlotte once we get to Volterra." Christian let go of my hand and went around to get in the driver's side. I nodded, though he was already in the car, and followed suit.

The windows of the car were tinted, like all cars I have seen vampires drive. It's strange but I still can't think of myself as a vampire…it's unnatural. Zion says that I'm much paler than I used to be and my hair looks more chocolate now than just plain brown. My only response has been that I'm significantly prettier than I used to be.

"I feel scared." I whispered as we sped down the highway.

"Don't. You're not in any harm at all…the Volturi will be pleased to find you a vampire now." Christian responded.

Christian was like Jasper in some ways. He was incredibly good at make a person feel calm in a bad situation. He, unlike Jasper though, does not possess any sort of powers that I know of. He is simply very good at negotiation, making me wonder what he did before he was a vampire.

"What's the matter?" I looked over and noticed Christian's brow furrowed in hard concentration.

"Nothing…Edward is up ahead. There's Volterra." Christian pointed and I could make out the walls of the city and a figure standing off to the side. I felt a smile creep onto my face even though I had left Edward in anger.

Christian pulled the car up and parked on the curb. My door opened and Edward stood before me. He didn't look as shocked as I had thought he would as I climbed out of the car and stood before him.

"Edward…" I whispered, I had completely forgotten about Christian.

"Who did this to you?" Edward hissed, his voice low.

"I did." I turned from Edward to see Zion standing there with Christian and Charlotte.

Edward snarled I grabbed him as he tried to attack Zion. Christian grabbed Zion's arms and held them behind his back, Zion was snarling too. "Edward please…let me explain." I begged.

"No. He bit you."

"I let him!" I shouted and Edward stopped his attempts to rip Zion apart. He pulled himself out of my arms and I saw Charlotte dragging Zion away. Christian stayed with Edward and I.

"Edward…if I may, we only did this to protect Bella, we had no intention to harm her. She is very dear to us…like one of our own family, though your coven does not think highly of my family. We have come here to help the Volturi and I realize Carlisle feels more loyal to Tanya than to any of the vampires who live inside those walls…but I have to ask you, who are you more loyal to? The American nomads and their barbaric ways or the Volturi, who spared your wife's life when you came to them last?" I gaped at Christian…how could anyone sound so convincing about this. He wasn't only persuading his point but he was basically asking who Edward was more loyal too…Carlisle or me. That fact alone frightened me.

"I would do anything for Bella." Edward whispered and looked at Christian.

"Then do this. The Volturi are willing to protect her and it seems the Amazonians and Egyptians are more spineless than I had originally hoped. But no worries…the Irish Coven and our dearest Alastair are enough to fight against the Nomads an Denali." Christian threw out statistics faster than I could comprehend.

I stood between them and I felt just as helpless as I did even when I was human. Christian had intellect like Carlisle and I couldn't understand how Carlisle could thing so lowly of Christian. He was a civil vampire. Edward just stared at him and I knew he was reading Christian's mind. I looked between the two and was suddenly remembered of how annoyed I used to feel when Jacob and Edward would do this to me.

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING FOR HELL'S SAKE!" Zion's shout penetrated Edward and Christian's concentration. Christian turned his head so fast I felt like I had whiplash just watching him. He glared hatefully at Zion, and when I looked back Edward's face was mirroring Christian's.

"We weren't talking to you Zion." Christian snapped out.

"So fuck off!" Edward added and Christian turned back to smirk at him. The two had obviously come to some sort of silent agreement.

"We need to go in to see Caius now. He's expecting us. And stop being such an idiot Zion." Charlotte told us, hissing the last part at Zion.

Edward took my hand as we walked passed the walls and into Volterra. The city was illuminated just barely by streetlamps and it seemed like the city was deserted.

"Charlotte…glad to finally see you, it's been too long." Felix stepped out of the shadows, his hood down and smiled at Charlotte. She glared in return and Zion growled at him. "You might want to keep the child outside. Caius doesn't enjoy feral animals in his home." Felix grinned.

"You know I still carry a lighter." Charlotte remarked and shoved passed him, the rest of us following. Even though I knew they wouldn't hurt me I was still afraid to see the Volturi, but I was glad Edward was there.


End file.
